<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Open For a Reason by MaeTree</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26086921">Open For a Reason</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaeTree/pseuds/MaeTree'>MaeTree</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Avengers Family, Avengers Feels, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Not Beta Read, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:47:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,038</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26086921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaeTree/pseuds/MaeTree</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark is in his lab almost every night; he keeps the door open for a reason. This is why.</p><p>Alternate Title: It hurts, but you don't have to be alone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Avengers Team - Relationship, Tony Stark &amp; Avengers Team</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Tony Stark Angst</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Open For a Reason</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In one of my other works, "Daisy" I did a small blurb about this, but I decided to revisit the idea and hopefully give it more justice.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony had never had a good sleep schedule, even as a child. But as he grew older, his waking hours became longer, and when he was introduced to caffeine, his sleeping hours became non-existent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he and Pepper started their relationship, he often was able to actually sleep on a daily basis. That is, until inspiration struck. Or nightmares. Or his never-ending anxiety of failing his family, team, or even the whole world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still tried to put in the effort- to stay with Pepper in the odd hours of the night, but more often than not, he ended up waking his fiance. So down to the lab he went, tinkering and building and coding until the sun rose above the city that never slept. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thor was almost never on Earth but when he was, he stayed at the Avengers’ Tower. He knew of battle, and he knew of the trauma and the demons that followed all the survivors so he was not surprised by Stark’s insomnia. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Thor stayed watch, not saying anything, but standing vigilant by the entrance. He would watch as Tony worked, building things that were far more complex than the technology of the rest of his realm. Thor stayed as long as he was able just to let Tony know that he was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Back when Bruce was around, they were almost constant nightly companions, talking about science and technology and hopes and dreams, always avoiding the reality, acting as if the hours were normal and not because Bruce was to scared to let his guard down and Tony was to terrified of letting all the ones he loves die because he can't do enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pepper also made a habit of staying in her fiance's lab while he worked, carding her fingers through his hair, working on miscellaneous paperwork, or catching up on sleep on the small couch he had there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She liked to pretend that it was all for Tony’s benefit and not because she could still see that screen depicting him flying in a wormhole and </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if he had not come down</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she could still remember watching Sokivia fly into the air and </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if he hadn’t come home.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She pretended that it was all for him. They both knew it was for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clint visited occasionally, his voice still soft in the quiet room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chatted about anything and nothing, silly things that didn't really matter like his next prank on someone or his latest funny story about his dog Lucky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His stories were filled with silliness and laughter and never ceased to make Tony smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Neither ever made a move to mention the faded tear tracks on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve had also visited regularly, back before their fall out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony would explain what he was working on and Steve would listen intently. Contrary to popular belief, the super soldier was brilliant and picked up all the concepts Tony taught him with ease. Tony never realized how much those hours meant until they were gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhodey was in Tony's lab every night he stayed at the tower. They rarely talked, only working in companionable silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their hands would work in a steady rhythm, assembling and disassembling complex machinery like legoes. Years of experience left them able to move around each other like clockwork.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neither needed to explain why they were there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natasha rarely visited, but whenever she did, it was a silent affair, with bloodshot eyes and the sharp smell of vodka.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She never said anything as Tony slowly worked his way closer. No sudden moves, no direct approach, just the quiet shuffling as he would continually grab things for his projects until he could reach out to her and pull her into a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She never said anything as her shoulders shook with suppressed sobs that she couldn’t hold in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She never said anything as she let Tony hold her, silently reassuring her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you are not a monster.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She never said a word. But when she visited, she stayed until the sun rose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If anyone had asked, the answer was no, that Sam had never intentionally </span>
  <em>
    <span>sought out</span>
  </em>
  <span> Stark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had just- he had been patrolling the halls, right? And Stark’s door had been open and Sam had just wanted- no, needed to make sure that Iron Man had a parachute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stark had first given him </span>
  <em>
    <span>the look</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you know- the one that says </span>
  <em>
    <span>really? I'm a genius billionaire that flies around in a metal suit</span>
  </em>
  <span> but then he looked Sam over. His eyes softened and he gave a nod. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay as long as you need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so Sam did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first time Wanda visited Tony's lab was an accident. She had muttered a quiet apology, but didn't make any move to leave. Though often arrogant and brash acting during the day, Tony was quiet at night, with soft smiles and comforting words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He offered her a seat on the small couch surrounded by Pepper’s books and quietly explained what he was doing. She had given an uncertain nod, still not sure of her standings with him, but picked up a book nonetheless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time after was similar. They would greet each other with a smile and a few quiet words and she would read while he worked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Peter rarely stayed the night, but sometimes, when he had been out late as Spider-Man, he would swing by the tower. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t nearly as quiet as any of the others, but he did his best. Talking about his patrols, passing Tony tools, and quietly shuffling closer, wanting a hug but not willing to say anything about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually Tony would give a sigh, entirely for show, and pull the kid in. wrapping his arms around him, Tony would ask what was really wrong and Peter would break. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Tony always listened and always cared. Because god help him if he didn’t have time for his son.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>^*^</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few years, almost every resident of the Tower had made a nocturnal visit to Tony's labs, whether for advice, or comfort, or distraction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tony never spoke of it, neither did anyone else, but it was a known thing at the Tower. At night, his door was open for a reason.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>